Gray a key cog during Luv Ya Blue days

CORPUS CHRISTI - Elvin Bethea hated to see Leon Gray in front of him, but loved having him on the same sideline.

The Houston Oilers were looking for an offensive tackle at the start of the 1979 season. The team had just lost Greg Sampson to a career-ending injury. They checked with the New England Patriots, who still were seething about their dealings with Gray during a well-publicized 1977 holdout.

For a 1980 first-round pick, the deal was done. The 1979 Oilers were equipped with one of the preeminent left tackles of the decades. Gray, despite a brief stay with Houston, made an impact, being voted by caller.com readers to the all-time Houston pro team.

Bethea, a defensive end in the midst of a Hall of Fame career, believed the deal worked well two ways. First, the Oilers had a great tackle on the line and a replacement for Sampson. Second, he wouldn't have to face Gray except in practice.

"Best offensive tackle I ever met," Bethea said of Gray, who died in November 2001, just before his 50th birthday. "I hated to play him in New England. He gave me fits. I was the happiest guy when they traded for him. I bought him a soda, an ice cream cone and a ham sandwich when he came to town, I was so happy."

The deal went over well in Houston, though not so much in New England. According to Michael Felger's book "Tales from the Patriots Sideline", Pat Sullivan, of the family that owned the Patriots, was visiting a prison to give a talk. At one point, an inmate stood up and -- laced with an expletive -- wanted to know why the team traded Gray.

The 6-foot-3, 260-pound Gray immediately showed his top form in Houston. He was a consensus all-pro his first two seasons with the Oilers and made the Pro Bowl in two of his three seasons.

"Leon Gray was the missing piece on offense in my opinion," said Houston cornerback Willie Alexander, whose final season was Gray's first with the Oilers. "We had Earl (Campbell) running, but Leon was a shut-down tackle. He used to shut down all those defensive ends. He was so quick."

Gray helped his team to the 1979 AFC Championship Game, paving the way for Campbell. He had strong seasons in 1980 and 1981 and was traded to the New Orleans Saints in 1982 for Archie Manning.

Gray closed his career with two injury-filled years with the Saints. But, in Houston, Gray always will be remembered for a brief but brilliant stay.

Readers were asked to vote on caller.com for an all-time Houston pro football team, with a parameter being that players were to be judged only on their performance with the Oilers and Texans. The following is the result of voting for offensive tackles. Two were selected to the team.